Arduino programming and component operation technology

Arduino can sense the environment by receiving input from a variety of sensors and can affect its surroundings by controlling lights, motors, and other actuators. The microcontroller on the board is programmed using the Arduino programming language (based on Wiring) and the Arduino development environment (based on Processing). Arduino projects can be stand-alone or they can communicate with software running on a computer (e.g. Flash, Processing, MaxMSP).
The boards can be built by hand or purchased preassembled; the software can be downloaded for free. The hardware reference designs (CAD files) are available under an open-source license, you are free to adapt them to your needs.
Arduino received an Honorary Mention in the Digital Communities section of the 2006 Ars Electronica Prix.
The Arduino founders are: Massimo Banzi, David Cuartielles, Tom Igoe, Gianluca Martino, and David Mellis.

arduino is "basically" a pic chip...just on a neat board already. and with a different language, hence the speed. took long enough to get the grasp of c++, not changing to a new language now.

open up a few fancy electronics and you will be amazed how many of these black caterpillars have the distinctive Microchips emblem on them... even the vacuum at work has a pic16f28a in it...a simple vacuum cleaner! and no, not because i sucked it up off the floor its part of the self cleaning mechanism

interesting to see youre contemplating this avenue finally. thinking of doing something yourself for once?

be warned, that if you dont know the difference between a 555 and a 556 is, or what an lm382, tl072, or a 7414 do....you have a very very steep learning curve.

DAC is simple, but how to implement 16 bit into 8 bit structure, yarda yarda, and what exactly is a checksum? or the parity bit? much beating of heads against walls

try finding the 8-pin PIC EFI online somewhere(i aint lookin)... how to use only four inputs that are also assigned internally as outputs?? as the author says, more a self test of just how minimalist a design could be and still work, rather than any practical use.

arduino is good for a stepping stone, but you will never truly understand whats going on until you have to design the complete circuit board. and you will never get arduino to be compact. that isnt its intention.

i gave up after moving onto the 6"x 6" squares of board, multiple masks....and couldnt get the stupid stuff to etch properly. each and every step requires all this prior knowledge. grr. about $400 invested in total, not including labour, with no returns. a business can write that off as R&D. i cant. thats the rent, food, new teeth, etc...